VOA标准英语2012--Greek Cabinet Sworn in Amid Bank Run Fears

 

Greek Cabinet Sworn in Amid Bank Run Fears

Greece's new caretaker cabinet took office Thursday. Senior judge Panagiotis Pikrammenos, shown here in the center, will head an emergency government of professors, technocrats¹ and politicians through a turbulent month until repeat elections on June 17.

In Greece and across Europe, there's a growing feeling that the coming weeks could decide Greece's future in the eurozone.

With Greek depositors withdrawing hundreds of millions worth of euros from local banks, the European Central Bank has stopped offering loans to some Greek banks it does not consider solvent². But both politicians and analysts⁴ are cautioning against fears of a run on Greek banks.

"I would expect that the population will be quietly doing what it has been doing in previous days," said Theodore Krintas, a market analyst³ with Attica Wealth. "In other words, some of the Greek citizens are afraid and are taking slowly a portion of the money [out of the banks], but I'm not expecting a bank run."

Many Greeks say another election will simply prolong the agony. Dionyssis Dimitrakopoulos, a senior lecturer at Birkbeck College University of London, says there is a danger of the same poll producing the same result.

"Everybody, as we say in Greece, will have to add some water to their wine," said Dimitrakopoulos. "In other words to seek consensus⁵, you cannot build consensus without moving away from your original position."

Spain saw its borrowing costs rise sharply as fears grow over contagion⁶ across southern Europe.

Shares in the Spanish bank Bankia, which is being bailed⁷ out by the government, plummeted⁸ Thursday after a newspaper report said customers had withdrawn⁹ more than 1 billion euros in just a week. 

1 technocrats   

n.技术专家，专家政治论者( technocrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Few business barons remained. They were replaced by "technocrats," who became the heads of corporations. 企业巨头所剩无几，大多已被“技术专家”所代替，这些人成了公司的领导。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• However, bankers called the technocrats' bluff and proceeded to lend with gusto. 但是，银行家们称技术专家官员不过在虚张声势，并且还会乐观的继续借贷业务。 来自互联网

2 solvent   

n.溶剂；adj.有偿付能力的

参考例句：

• Gasoline is a solvent liquid which removes grease spots.汽油是一种能去掉油污的有溶解力的液体。
• A bankrupt company is not solvent.一个破产的公司是没有偿还债务的能力的。

3 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

4 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

5 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

6 contagion   

n.(通过接触的疾病)传染；蔓延

参考例句：

• A contagion of fear swept through the crowd.一种恐惧感在人群中迅速蔓延开。
• The product contagion effect has numerous implications for marketing managers and retailers.产品传染效应对市场营销管理者和零售商都有很多的启示。

7 bailed   

保释，帮助脱离困境( bail的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Fortunately the pilot bailed out before the plane crashed. 飞机坠毁之前，驾驶员幸运地跳伞了。
• Some water had been shipped and the cook bailed it out. 船里进了些水，厨师把水舀了出去。

8 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。